AN: I cannot say sorry enough. This year has literally been the worst year of my life. I work in childcare so we never shut down, so I've been working this entire quarantine as well as going to college. Then on top of that my family had the biggest fight we've ever had. My brother nearly got disowned and had to move out of the house and I was crying every day for like 6 months. I had so many breakdowns that it's honestly ridiculous. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to write and I'm just starting to recover from that whole mess. I didn't mean to leave it for so long and I'm really sorry about that!

Chapter 16: Plan in Motion

Thor's soul was practically humming in contentment. Considering his current circumstances such an emotion didn't seem possible, but there was something about this James and Darcy that appealed to his baser instincts.

If there was one thing he'd learned from Elysia's gifts, it was that there was no limit to the universe's secrets. This attachment, this out of nowhere familial bond, was simply another mystery. Unfortunately for Thor, he wasn't really in a position to sit around and try to figure it out. He had a kingdom and siblings to return to. But the warmth in his chest assured him there was nothing to fear about these newfound bonds.

Blue eyes almost identical to his bore back at him and suddenly Thor was hit with the notion that James could walk out of this building and never come back; taking the chance of discovering what this attachment meant with him. It was clear that Jane needed him for something and it seemed that Darcy was permanently along for the ride as well, leaving Thor no reason to fear her departure.

Thor decided then that he would bring James and Darcy to Asgard with him to inquire of the bond. After all, such sudden emotional ties shouldn't be discarded without explanation.

So caught up in his thoughts, Thor failed to notice James tense as Darcy approached and plopped down beside him with a loud sigh as she casually rested against his side as though they'd known each other for years.

The louder female had joined them and Winter wasn't entirely sure what to make of her. He'd already made the decision that Thor would be the key to his soulmate, making the man invaluable to him. The way the woman was leaning on Thor and how he allowed it so easily told Winter that she was important somehow.

Winter didn't have the time or the patience to mess around and end up disregarding a woman who may end up helping to piece the puzzle of his soulmate together. Hydra would not take his excuses forever; they would eventually send for him and if he didn't come...

Pain.

Ice.

Forgetting.

Winter couldn't afford to forget, not when he was closer than ever. If this cycle continued, one day Winter would awake to gray words. And god help the poor fools who wake him on that day. If his soulmate was gone, then nothing mattered.

He'd make it a mission to gut every last one who called themselves Hydra or he'd die trying.

Sannr Ast was the only thing tethering him to this life.

"That's a prime time scowl you got there buddy. Who pissed in your cornflakes?"

Winter's attention snapped back to the brunette, unable to decipher what this female was talking about. Before he could even begin to form a response, she carried on, "Darcy Lewis at your service." Looking down at the hand she suddenly extended towards him, Winter hesitantly reached out and shook it. Her comfortability with Thor assuaged most of his suspicions of her.

"James," he said watching her lips upturn at the reveal of his name. Looking at the two in front of him, the words on his wrist gave off a pleasant warmth, only furthering his instinct that these two were going to be vital in the search for his mate.

Thor watched with a content smile as Darcy continued to mindlessly chatter with James, who seemed to be entertaining her. Peeking over his shoulder he could see Jane and Erik conversing with two Midgardians sitting atop bar stools while sipping on coffee. About to dismiss the entire encounter, Thor was stopped in his tracks as one of the men spoke.

"I don't know what it was but it was heavy. I mean, nobody could lift it."

Having a pretty strong idea as to what the man was talking about, Thor stood abruptly, halting the conversation between Darcy and James as he made his way over. Placing a strong hand on the shoulder of the man who spoke, Thor ignored the looks everyone was giving him as he spoke, "Which way?"

Not expecting a man of Thor's stature to suddenly appear behind him, the man stumbled a bit over his words before he finally got them out, "Uh, like fifty miles west of here."

A slight smile graced Thor's face at the thought that something was finally going right since his banishment. There was finally some type of sign that he could get home again. After all, it wasn't like Odin could keep him down here forever. There was no way Loki or Elysia would allow it, even if they had to retrieve him personally, Thor knew they would. He knew because he would do the same for them in a heartbeat.

Finally having a direction to go, Thor turned and walked back to Darcy and James. Already knowing Darcy would follow, they still needed him for something, Thor turned his attention to the long-haired man. "I understand this sounds strange, and I don't quite have the time to fully explain, but what I do know is that you're important. I don't know how or why yet, and there's only one place to get the answers." Holding out his palm in a gesture to help him out of the seat, Thor continued, "So, how do you feel about going on an adventure James?"

A determined glint shined back at him as James slapped his palm against his own and allowed Thor to pull him up, "Let's go."

A knock on the door pulled their attention away from planning and Elysia called out, "Come in." Strutting into the room came Elysia's personal guard, Alvilda Halvorsdottir.

Alvilda had been jealous as a young girl, seeing the clear love between the siblings and wishing her own brother cared half as much. It'd pushed the girl to antagonize the little Princess during primary lessons. But as the years progressed, Alvilda grew up, as all children do, and when faced with firsthand knowledge of Odin's dismissals of his children, she supposed she'd gotten the better deal in the end.

Watching Sif become one of the realm's fiercest warriors had given many young maidens the courage to try for themselves, and never in the history of Asgard had there been so many female warriors outside of the Valkyrie. Alvilda had chosen to follow in her brother Bjorn's footsteps and she was proud to shed the role of childhood bully and stepped into her place as a protector of Asgard.

She'd been surprised when Elysia had asked her to be her personal guard. For a moment she'd been afraid it was some sort of revenge for when they were children and had been genuinely surprised when the Princess had spoken of her hard work and dedication and wanted to leave the feud in the past.

Alvilda had been with Elysia for about three hundred years and the two had become very dear to one another. She knew she'd never compare to Sif and the Princes' places in her heart, but Alvilda's bond with Elysia was special in its own way.

Elysia smiled at her friend and waved her over, "I was hoping you'd arrive soon." Before Thor's ceremony, Elysia had sent Alvilda and a few other guards to go speak with the younger ones during primary lessons about being a royal guard and what it entailed. It was good for the children to see that men and women were on equal footing in their abilities. However, news of Odin had brought them all back to the Palace and Elysia knew it was only a matter of time before Alvilda made her way back to her side.

Alvilda placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I heard about Thor, I'm so sorry Elysia." Alvilda knew how much Thor and Loki meant to the woman and she couldn't imagine the pain she must be going through. She may not have the best relationship with her own brother, but Alvilda would still die for Bjorn without hesitation. Turning to see Sif and Loki, she nodded at the two to convey her condolences.

A bittersweet smile lingered as Elysia addressed the current burden on their hearts, "Yes, as usual Odin was unreasonable. But not to worry, Thor will be coming home soon." Quickly changing topics before sadness could creep up on her once again, Elysia stood straighter, "There were some...complications that resulted in earning Laufey's ire. It seems at this point war is inevitable." Ignoring Alvilda's furrowed brows, Elysia continued, "I would ask you to spread the word and gather our warriors and begin preparing them. Once we're done in here, we'll send Sif to assist you. My mother will handle getting our people to refuge when the time comes. In the meantime, we need to do all we can to fortify our defenses against them."

Seeing the turmoil in her Princess' eyes, Alvilda vowed to do her part to ease the burden on her shoulders. "As you wish," she firmly nodded before turning to leave the throne room and begin her new assignment.

Breathing out a sigh of relief Elysia thanked the Allfathers that Alvilda didn't ask any questions. What truly happened in Jotunheim was not something anyone else needed to know about, things were already complicated enough.

The last thing Elysia wanted was to put her people at risk, but she couldn't think of any other way to take the attention off Loki. And now her brother feared what would happen to him if the Frost Giants ever caught wind that he was Laufey's son. While Elysia knew he had nothing to fear, knew of the love their people held for the three royal children they watched grow up, she also knew Loki needed this for his peace of mind.

She'd never deny her brother that.

In the recess of her mind, she wondered if Loki's status as God had been Asgard's way of accepting him as one of its own. After all, not everyone could be a God or Goddess. Asgardians were naturally stronger than other species, it was in their DNA, but only select ones were born to be something more. They were chosen by Asgard itself on the eve of their birth.

To everyone else, they were all Asgardians, but on Asgard there are only two species. The Vanir; average Asgardians which made up most of their people. Then there was the Aesir; Asgardians born with a special ability to be more.

Frigga was the Goddess of Love. She'd blessed so many marriages, both on Asgard and to the Midgardians who used to pray to her. She'd helped birth a large majority of the children, knowing the babes would calm in her warm presence. Perhaps that's why fate had connected her to Odin. She had so much love to give, and he did not.

Thor was the God of Thunder. He'd always been mesmerized by storms in their youth, probably due to the Aesir blood coursing through his veins calling him towards their chaos. Back when the Midgardians used to worship them, back when they shared their native language with the weaker species, Thor had been popular among them. It warmed Elysia and Loki's heart to see his joyful smile when they praised his name and called for him in battle.

Sif was the Goddess of War, honestly a title she would need with Thor as a mate. There had been opposition when she'd first revealed her desire to fight. At the time, very little women had joined the ranks, and Sif wanted to change that. She could have easily invoked Thor to ensure she had a place in their Army, but she was bound and determined to do it on her own merit. Through hard work, Sif had become one of the realms best fighters and inspired young girls throughout the realm.

Eir was the Goddess of Healing. Elysia didn't know much about Eir's past or the defining moment where she chose her path, but she did know that Eir's life goal was to help their people. At first glance, Eir seemed stiff and stern, but after spending so much time with the woman Elysia knew her to have a tender heart. She was the only healer brave enough to slap Thor across the head when he came to her with stupid injuries.

Although Odin was their King and Allfather, he wasn't an Aesir. Being the Allfather had connected him to Asgard in a way that no one else was, but he had not been born that way. His father had been an Aesir but his mother was a Vanir, and his father's genes had not been passed down. Odin inherited the throne once his father died and those powers had been transferred to him, but if he ever handed that mantle over, he'd once again become a regular Asgardian.

Gunnar and Asta had both been Aesir, so even before touching the infinity stone, Elysia had been destined to be a Goddess.

But Loki was the God of Mischief, there was no denying it, she'd seen the magic settle during their naming ceremony. If Laufey was his father, then his mother must have had Aesir blood. Odin had mentioned that Loki had been left to die, that he was small for a Frost Giant's offspring.

Elysia knew the days of the Great War were dark, knew people had suffered beyond her imagination, so it wasn't hard to believe that Laufey had taken an Aesir woman hostage and forced her to carry his child, probably just to spite Odin. But Laufey couldn't have had any knowledge of who was Aesir and who was Vanir, it was one of the most sacred secrets of their people. So he must have taken an Asgardian woman, having no knowledge she was Aesir.

Loki must have been the first of his kind; a mix of Frost Giant and Aesir. It also wouldn't be a stretch to assume childbirth had killed his mother. What would carrying a Frost Giant's baby would do to an Asgardian? If Elysia was right, then Laufey probably wasn't expecting his child to be so small and had left him to die, assuming his size was equal to his strength.

Elysia looked over at her brother and decided that once everything settled down, she'd share her conclusions with him to see what he made of it. So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed Loki and Sif were done until Sif had walked over and gently held her elbow, "Elysia, I was wondering if we could talk?"

Nodding in acquiesce, Elysia turned to give Loki a hug and promised to send Frigga so they could discuss the plans to ensure the safety of everyone who wouldn't be fighting. Linking arms with Sif, they left the throne room to find a place to talk.

Elysia led Sif to her mother's garden, a place that the siblings had claimed for themselves as children. Both sat on the green grass amidst an array of brightly colored flowers. "What did you want to talk about? Is there something troubling you?"

Sif shook her head, looking at the girl she'd viewed as a little sister since she met Thor, "No, but I think there's something bothering you."

Elysia blew out a harsh breath and laid down, gazing at the sky, "There are a great many things bothering me at this time Sif, you'll have to be more specific." In the mere span of two days, everything had fallen apart.

Moving to lay down beside her, Sif took a moment before addressing the one thing that could agitate her in a second, "Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg." She watched Elysia's jaw clench at their names, "I know they bother you and Loki, in fact I'd say everyone but Thor has noticed it. The boys constantly wonder what they've done to annoy the two of you, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious myself."

Sif was startled to see Elysia turn her head and reveal wet eyes. She struggled to find something to say, her intention hadn't been to make her upset to the point of tears, she was merely curious. Then she noticed the pleading in her eyes, asking her not to make her say it aloud. For a moment Sif wondered what in the nine realms could the Warriors Three have done to receive this kind of response.

Then it hit her.

All the looks of longing aimed towards Thor when he'd go off with them, how the dark-haired siblings would clutch onto the others' hand tightly, and the way they'd cling to Thor when he returned.

"You think they're going to steal him away from you."

Elysia hadn't been expecting Sif to inquire about her brother's friends, and thinking on the reason she disliked them proved to push her emotions over the edge, bringing tears to her eyes. How could she explain without sounding like a scared child? How could she tell Sif that she was afraid one day Thor would come to prefer them over his siblings? She didn't know how, but this was Sif, surely she could somewhat understand.

"Haven't they already tried? You're his soulmate Sif, and it's different with you, but you must understand that for most of our lives it's just been the three of us. The three of us were in this bubble that no one could breach, that no one else could dare to understand. Then one day these three boys come along and suddenly Loki and I aren't enough for him anymore." She remembered the day Thor had met them, how he'd come home and spoke of nothing other than those three boys and how exciting they were. She remembered how much it broke her heart to watch him chose them over her and Loki, over and over again. "Everywhere I turn, they're there, beckoning him further and further from us and Thor can't even see it. They've taken him by the hands and one day they might pull him beyond our reach."

A sole tear escaped her eyes and Sif reached over to wipe it away, her heart aching for her little sister who didn't feel she was enough. "You should already know there's not even the smallest possibility of that happening. You and Loki are the most important things to Thor. All he does is talk about the two of you." She couldn't count the number of times Thor would go off on a tangent about his siblings, boasting about what they'd mastered in their training or going on about how he couldn't wait to teach them a new trick. Thor'd even proudly spoken about how Loki would stab him when they were younger. It'd shocked them to hear the pride in his voice when talking about such a thing, but all Thor would say is that he broke a promise and had deserved it.

"If he knew for one second that both of you felt this way, he'd smack the two of you in the head. Have faith in his love for you because if there's one thing I know, it's that there's no stronger bond in the nine realms than the one the three of you have."

Sif's words were a balm to the pain in her heart. To know that Thor thought about them even while with his friends was comforting. "You aren't upset about that?" Elysia knew just how easy it would be for their bond to disturb Sif, she may not care to split Thor's attention. Although Sif had never shown even the slightest inclination to that thinking, Elysia still worried.

Smiling widely, Sif shook her head, "One of the things I admire most about him is his loyalty to the two of you. Being his soulmate made us family Elysia. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Warmth filled her chest and she tackled Sif into a hug, both girls giggling. "Perhaps I could be a bit kinder," Elysia conceded, "But if they ever accuse Loki again-"

Before she could finish, Sif threw her a look, "If they speak against Loki again, they'll have me to deal with as well."

Squeezing her tighter, Elysia was thankful fate had chosen Sif for Thor.

Both girls had spoken about inconsequential things, taking a moment to forget about the upcoming war, before Sif had to leave to help Alvilda. Elysia chose to stay in the garden for a while longer, basking in the peace it provided.

Looking to the sky, Elysia imagined her parents watching over her. Swallowing against the sudden tightness of her throat, she wondered if they'd be proud of her or if they saw the heavy guilt she carried.

She hadn't wanted to start a war, especially after knowing how her parents felt about the notion of her having to fight. But what other option had there been? She'd wanted to honor Gunnar's death, honor the fact that he died to end a war, but that's not what happened.

"Forgive me, Papa. Jotunheim already stole you from me, I couldn't let it take Loki as well."

She prayed they'd understand.